


The Man On the Moon

by lucybeee



Category: Fruits Basket, Fruits Basket (Anime 2019), Fruits Basket - Takaya Natsuki (Manga)
Genre: Mutual Pining, slight emotional hurt/comfort themes, writing this made me kinda sad lol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:27:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28279128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lucybeee/pseuds/lucybeee
Summary: "What had started as her telling him a kid's folkstory had quickly turned into something much darker, something that stirred up emotions within her, ones that she didn't understand, and--She should have just kept her mouth shut. The silence was better than this; less painful than this."
Relationships: Honda Tohru/Sohma Kyou
Kudos: 23





	The Man On the Moon

**Author's Note:**

> Look at me, I'm on a roll 😂The inspiration for this came from the song "The Man On The Moon" by Gavin James; I heard it for the first time the other day and instantly thought of these bbys. It has serious Kyoru vibes, so you should check it out. Enjoy!
> 
> Also, I'm doing a Furuba-themed giveaway on my Instagram page (handle below), so check that out, if you'd like! 
> 
> This takes place toward the end of season 2, shortly after Sorta Cinderella.

"Uh, hey, Kyo-kun?"

Kyo hummed in response, tugging at a loose thread on his sweatpants absentmindedly.

When Kyo had disappeared right after dinner, Tohru had assumed he'd gone up to the roof and followed him after she'd finished the dishes. Sure enough, he had been there, and while he looked surprised to see her, he didn't ask her to leave. So she'd perched herself next to him, shivering against the cold every once in a while, to which he'd responded by draping his jacket across her shoulders with a bit of a sigh.

The air between them was heavy. An uncomfortable silence, something Tohru wasn't used to experiencing with Kyo; they always had something to talk about, and if they ever _were_ quiet, it wasn't awkward. They understood each other in a way that honestly disconcerted Tohru at some times. There's a silence that only comes when people _really_ understand each other, and _that's_ what she was used to. Things had been a little awkward between them since their class play, though. Something had shifted, both within her and within their relationship.

But she didn't quite know what, and that scared the hell out of her.

So she wracked her mind for something to say.

"Have you heard about the man on the moon?"

"Eh?" he asked, the most he'd said to her all night. She gestured to the full, bright moon above them, and he followed her gaze. "You mean like, the famous one the Americans sent there back in the 60s or whatever?"

Tohru giggled and pulled Kyo's jacket tighter around her. "No, silly. The one who's still there!"

"Now _you're_ being silly," he said dryly, stealing a quick glance at her before looking back towards the sky. "No one's stayed on the moon this whole time."

Tohru raised an eyebrow slightly. There were times when she _almost_ forgot that he'd had such an unstable homelife in his early childhood; he was so loving and kind that it was easy to forget about his biological parents and think that Master had just raised him the entire time. But it was times like this that shook Tohru to her core with the realization that, for a while, he hadn't had anyone to tell him stories like this one. She took a deep breath in preparation.

"Well, there are a bunch of different stories about it, like the one we used to hear in school about Princess Kaguya. But my favorite is the German version. It says that, once, there was a man who went out to gather firewood on a Sunday. He saw a stranger in the woods, who got mad at him for working on a Sunday, since it was supposed to be a day to rest and worship. So the stranger banished the man to the moon, where he's looked down on Earth ever since."

She paused, looking over at Kyo to gauge his reaction; there was none.

"The stranger said that the man gathering firewood was betraying God because he was working instead of resting and worshiping. But how I see it is, the man was just trying to survive; he needed firewood to keep warm, so he had to go get it, even though it was Sunday. I don't think he should be blamed for that. And, he must be so lonely up on the moon, now. All he gets to do is stare down at us, knowing that the world is still turning without him. He doesn't know that he's part of so many stories, and that so many people remember and love him. It's like he's locked away--"

Tohru stopped short there, sucking in a sharp breath. It was just like…

Feeling eyes on her, Tohru turned to Kyo again, this time locking eyes with him. Brown irises stared into orange for a few long, silent moments. Then, Kyo just mumbled a "yeah."

That made Tohru realize they were thinking about the same thing, and she felt emotion overcome her. She looked back up at the moon, not wanting him to see the tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. What had started as her telling him a kid's folkstory had quickly turned into something much darker, something that stirred up emotions within her, ones that she didn't understand, and--

She should have just kept her mouth shut. The silence was better than this; less painful than this.

"It's okay, Tohru," Kyo said gently. It was meant to soothe her, she knew, but it just made her feel guilty; _he_ was the one who was destined to be locked away in a cage forever, and yet, he was still trying to comfort _her_. Hot tears streamed down her face. She could feel him staring at her, but he didn't say anything else. She couldn't blame him; what else _was_ there to say?

Impulsively, then, Torhu reached out to him, still avoiding his gaze, and fumbled her hand around. She blindly found his knee, then his elbow, before reaching her original target--his hand. She locked their fingers together and squeezed, trying to both comfort him and ground herself at the same time. Kyo's whole body stiffened at the sudden contact, but he didn't push her away, thank God; Tohru wasn't sure her heart could take that. Instead, he just squeezed her hand back. Tohru choked back a sob.

"Hey," he said after a minute. She forced herself to look at him.

"Y-yes?"

"Quit crying. Everything's okay." He reached over and used his free hand to wipe at her cheeks. She couldn't help but giggle a bit, honestly rather giddy at the physical touches, though she couldn't really say why.

"Okay."

She wouldn't let it happen.

She _couldn't_ let it happen.

Kyo would never, ever go into that cage, if she had anything to say about it.

She couldn't say that to him now, though. He'd call her crazy, tell her to stop meddling, that it wasn't worth the pain she'd surely endure because of it.

So, at least by holding onto his hand like it was the only thing tethering her to this world, and by crying for him, maybe her heart's message would reach him--she'd always remember him. As long as she was around, he'd never truly be alone.

**Author's Note:**

> Furuba socials: @riceballcatfb on Instagram, Tumblr, and Twitter 
> 
> Multi-fandom Insta: @kawaii.anime.screens


End file.
